At the start of each unit we always ask students to share something they are looking forward to or to find some way to connect to the topic as we embark on Edible Social Studies for the year. For our Everybody Cooks Rice unit, the initial prompt was simply to share a favorite rich dish. This helps me learn more about who is in the classroom, and also allows me to take what the kids share and incorporate their connections and ideas into our syllabus. Many first graders shared their love for Mexican rice, so this week we made Mexican rice tacos in class together. Because we aren’t able to cook together, I thought it would be a nice opportunity to support a local business that makes the best Mexican rice I’ve ever tasted, La Palma Mexicatessen, which has been operating in the Mission since 1953.
Our read aloud for the week was Isabel Quintero’s and Zeke Peña’s book My Papi Has a Motorcycle, which tells the story of a Mexican American child riding through her neighborhood and interacting with her community with her dad.
We’ve shared our recipe for a vegetarian version of Mexican rice below, but also encourage everyone to support local Mexican American businesses like La Palma, too, as they are the foundation of our city’s vibrant neighborhoods. In third grade, students will learn more about San Francisco’s history as a part of Mexico and Mexico’s influence on California food culture. I’m excited to start building cross-grade-level connections like these as we continue to pilot and improve on our program.
